My Northern Illinois based daughter telephoned yesterday to ask a question. It seems that a high school student attending the same school as two of her children posted a shooting-day threat on Facebook. The student making the threat said the shooting would happen on September 16. Obviously, the school administration and local law enforcement agencies took the threat seriously and arrested the student. The student told police that no matter him being jailed, he had friends who were on board to carry out the shooting mission.
My daughter's question: "Would you, as a parent, send your two children to school the day of the proposed shooting?" I laughed and made light saying, "Call the morning of the designated shooting day and tell the attendance officer that you're going to try home-schooling THAT day."
Okay, it's not a funny matter in these times...it's nuts out there! The high school in question has over 3,000 students. Schools across this nation will one day have metal detectors and backpack inspectors every morning and school lock-down during hours. Schools will likely have several police liaison officers on site. All of these needs will cost taxpayers...but it's coming. Just as sports' stadiums, arena venues and airports have these safety measures, schools are close behind.
The American gun control debate is over...it ended when this nation accepted the harsh reality that it will accept twenty-six children being slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School...the NRA won; children lost...there, public schools and parents must debate and figure out how to best protect at each local level.
Interestingly, it was not an illegal immigrant that shot innocent students at Columbine high school or Sandy Hook Elementary. In fact, our (school) mass-shootings have most often been at the hands of home-grown privileged 'white' kids who have grown up in a gun-loving violent culture.
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